T Nation

Deadlift and Hip Pain?

Over 35 Lifter
#1

Experienced guys… I got into a bit of a deadlift battle with a younger maori fella last week - my ego made me try to lift the same weight as him (silly old fool I am).

I felt a twinge in my side which, as they do, became worse over the next few days to the point where I could hardly walk or sit without pain.

The pain is in my “love handle” area at the side say, around navel level, and about 5" or so to the left of my spine, feels like my hip bone region…

I’ve done this before, so here are my questions;

  1. what muscle / ligament injury might this be?

  2. and it takes a good 2 to 3 weeks to fully recover, would anyone know what I’m doing wrong, in terms of form, to cause an injury in this area?

  3. Has anyone else had this “twinge” which worsens

I’m pleased it’s not my lower back or spine in pain, but obviously I’m doing something wrong and it’s damaging this “hip” region somehow. I focus on keeping the back straight, head in line, arse back so I can feel the pull in my hammy’s and weight on my heels…

Thanks for any insights.

#2

Unfortunately there are lots of attachments there, hard to say what’s going on -

  • might help you pick out the right muscle. What movements cause you pain? exrx.net goes through the ways your joints can move and which muscles are involved. Sounds like it might not be a form prob - you just went too heavy. Keeping the bar very close to your shins, right?
#3

Thank you.
It’s almost exactly where the lumbar triangle label is pointing to, in this link from your page:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Iliac_crest.PNG

The squatting movement causes pain now and twisting the torso. It’s improving after 1 week so that’s good. Can’t put my own socks on unless I lay down on the bed at the moment.

I think I did notice the bar moving away from my shins slightly, other than that, I think my form was good. I’ve previously lifted this weight on singles but on this occasion I did a set of 5 and that may have caused a loss fo strict form and caused the dramas.

thanks Horatio

#4

I’m pretty sure I’ve had the same thing Duke.Last year I was deadlifting a few warm up reps of 60 ks when something popped in the same area as you described. Had debilitating pain for weeks.A colleague of mine figured I had either popped the S.I JOINT or tore Quadratus Lumborum at it’s insertion. Now I am a qualified and practising Weightlifting Coach and my form is pretty good (I normally Dead lift 165ks,I weigh 75ks),however I do have a moderate lumbar scoliosis and am normally well aware of it with all my lifts so we reckon that I must have dozed off with the light weight and shifted laterally and even with a light load was enough to kick it off.

So what I do now is do heaps of lateral stabilising stuff so I can at least stay tight in the area. Get your self off to a good Strength based chiro(not a back cracker) and have a full Spinal x ray just in case. These are great exercises,check them out.
getstrength.com/training/GS-Commando

#5

Thanks Narrabeen.